Feudalism was the social, political, and economic system in Medieval Europe. Feudalism was a system where land was granted in return for labor and military support. The Catholic Church (led by the Pope) played an influential role in everyday life. Most people were peasants living in villages. Towns and cities developed over time. Nobility guided by rules of chivalry ruled over the people but also had an obligation to them.
Feudalism
The Middle Ages (Medieval Times) is a historical period that took place approximately between 500-1500. Feudalism was the social, political, and economic system in place.
Why did Feudalism Arise?
The fall of the Roman Empire led to the collapse of a powerful central government. A new system was developed to fill the power vacuum and to protect local areas from attack.
What is Feudalism?
The word “feudalism” arises from a “fief,” the name given to the basic self-sufficient unit of land during the Middle Ages.
Feudalism was a system where land was granted in return for labor and military support. It was largely an agricultural society. Small villages grew up around the farms to serve their needs.
Peasants farmed the land. Local nobility controlled the land in return for military service to the king. There was a weak center of power and Western Europe was split up into many small kingdoms. The Catholic Church was very powerful and had a large role in social life.
What are the Benefits and Disadvantages?
Feudalism served the needs of the times. Everyone had a largely fixed place in society. Life had a certain stability. Each person had duties. In return, people obtained basic needs.
Feudalism established an unequal society. There was a limited chance for advancement. Change came slowly. Life still was insecure in many ways. Weak national governments left the people open to attack. Also, there were fewer means to expand and innovate.
The Church
Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Two Churches
Christianity continued after the fall of the Roman Empire. In the 11th Century, the Christian Church broke into two parts: the Roman Catholic Church (West) and the Greek Orthodox Church (East). Some people also followed other religions, including Judaism and Islam.
No Separation of Church and State
The Roman Catholic Church had significant power over secular (worldly) matters. For instance, marriage was a religious act. The Church often clashed with secular leaders, struggling for power. There was no separation of church and state.
Who’s Who
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church is the Pope, who lives at the Vatican in Rome. Bishops and cardinals are the nobility of the church. Priests guide and serve local communities.
Men and women also joined religious orders. The members normally took vows of poverty and chastity. Men were called monks and friars. Women were called nuns. Religious life was a means of security in troubled times. It also opened up opportunities for learning and commerce.
Daily Life
Peasants
The average person was a peasant. They lived in the country and worked as farmers on a small parcel of land. Peasants (or “serfs”) were obligated to supply some of their crops to the local lord. Peasants also had a few animals, like chickens and cows, for eggs and milk.
Peasants lived in small self-sufficient villages. They wore plain wool clothing. The staple diet was bread and some meat with eggs, milk, and vegetables added. Most peasants did not go to school.
Women
Women were second-class citizens. They still played a significant role in everyday life. They worked the fields, helped run businesses, took care of the home, and raised children.
Towns and Cities
Over time, larger towns and cities arose. They were crowded and dirty.
People worked in different crafts (e.g., butchers, weavers, and blacksmiths). They belonged to guilds, trade organizations providing training and protection.
Nobility
A small class of nobles, led by a king, had most of the power and money.
They wore better clothing and had more opportunities to obtain an education. Lesser nobility became knights, influential military leaders. You started as a page, worked yourself up to a squire, and ultimately became a knight.
Nobility practiced chivalry, the code focused on rules of honor, valor, and courtly manners. Jousts were battles between knights, a sporting contest. The nobility had large households with many servants. They played games, enjoyed poetry and songs, and had musicians to entertain.